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Crossroads E-Newsletter - October 7, 2010

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  • Crossroads E-Newsletter - October 7, 2010

    PRESS RELEASE
    Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
    H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
    Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
    138 East 39th Street
    New York, NY 10016
    Tel: 212-689-7810
    Fax: 212-689-7168
    Web: http://www.armenianprelacy.org/




    October 7, 2010
    LINKED iN GATHERING THIS WEEKEND
    The Prelacys annual LinkedIn gathering will begin tomorrow evening and
    continue through Sunday, October 10, under the directorship of His
    Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Prelacy. The
    annual gathering is a popular educational and social weekend for young
    professionals and college students, featuring informative and
    thought-provoking lectures, spiritual enrichment through Bible
    studies, meditations, and liturgical services, and bonding with peers
    through discussion groups and fellowship hours.
    The gathering takes place at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
    Vineyard in Charlton, Massachusetts. This years general theme is The
    Multi-Dimensional Aspects of Relationships.
    CLERGY RETREAT
    A retreat for the clergy serving the Eastern Prelacy will immediately
    follow the Linked iN gathering at the same venue in Massachusetts. The
    clergy retreat will take place October 10 to 13. The main topic of
    this years retreat (October 10 to 13) is Holy Week services.
    VICAR WILL PRESIDE OVER CELEBRATION
    Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar General, will preside over the 30th
    anniversary celebration of the Armenian Independent Radio of Boston,
    this Saturday evening, October 9, at the Armenian Cultural and
    Educational Center in Watertown, Massachusetts.
    HIS HOLINESS ARAM I SPEAKS ABOUT THE
    URGENCY OF CHRISTIAN UNITY
    His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, was
    invited to address the International Meeting of Prayer for Peace 2010,
    which took place in Barcelona. The meeting brought together a
    selective number of religious leaders, statesmen and women,
    politicians, and academics to discuss urgent issues of injustice and
    conflict, possibilities for peace-building and offer intercessory
    prayers.
    In his address on the urgency of Christian unity, His Holiness
    said that to speak about Christian unity means to speak about the
    ecumenical movement. Indeed, he noted, unity is the raison detre of
    the ecumenical movement. However, he said, churches have lost their
    interest in multilateral ecumenism and they are more interested in
    bilateral theological dialogue and inter-religious relations. Although
    significant achievements have been made through the ecumenical
    movement in the area of the visible unity of the church, Christian
    unity is no more a top priority on the agenda of the churches and the
    ecumenical movement. After outlining the significant progress that
    has been made in the past, His Holiness explained the steps that must
    now be taken to continue with renewed pace the endeavor for unity.
    In concluding his remarks, the Catholicos reminded the
    participants that unity is a gift of God and we must respond to it
    obediently and faithfully. Unity is not a self-centered reality. It
    must be at the service of mission, evangelism and Diakonia. In our
    search for unity we must engage the whole people of God, clergy and
    laity, youth and women, and people with different abilities. The
    vision of visible unity must sustain the life and witness of the
    churches in each and in all places, said His Holiness.
    NORTH ANDOVER ARMENIAN SCHOOL STUDENTS
    COMMENT ON MISSING CROSS ON AGHTAMAR CHURCH
    Students at the Armenian School of St. Gregory Church in North
    Andover, Massachusetts, were concerned about the lack of a cross on
    the Soorp Khatch Church on the island of Akhtamar in Lake Van. This
    sad situation caused the church hierarchy, including the Catholicos of
    All Armenians, and the Catholicos of Cilicia, to decline to
    participate in the Armenian Liturgy that recently took place.
    The students in North Andover took pen in hand and expressed
    just exactly how they felt about this situation. Here are just a few
    of the comments:
    The cross is the symbol of Christ, and you cant pray without
    it. (Anna Shahtanian, age 10).
    What bothers me more than the missing cross is why it took 95
    years to celebrate a Badarak at this church, and why Armenians didnt
    complain when it was turned into a museum. (Joanna Duffy, age 11).
    Some might argue that the cross is with us spiritually, not
    physically. If thats the case, then Jesus died on a cross that wasnt
    there. (Nick Kochakian, age 14).
    Nine year old Meline Almasian wrote that a lifetime of
    hostility doesnt appear to be getting any better. Make peace, not
    war. Thats the Christian way.
    The reason behind the Badarak is because Turkey wants to look
    good in the eyes of the European Union and show the world they arent
    all that bad. (Denis Teague, age 14).
    Aghavny Bebirian, age 17, would have attended the service and
    prayed. By keeping our faith strong, were showing God our
    dedication. Were proving to Turkey that Armenian Christianity will
    never die, no matter how inconsiderate their actions may be.
    (Taken from an article written by Tom Vartabedian)
    Armenian School students write their thoughts about the Aghtamar
    church.
    BIBLE STUDY PROGRAM AT
    ST. SARKIS CHURCH (DOUGLASTON, NY)
    Women in the Bible, a five-part program is scheduled to be held at
    St. Sarkis Armenian Church on five consecutive Tuesdays, starting
    October 19 through November 16, 2010. The church is located at 38-65
    234th Street, Douglaston, New York.
    Sponsored by St. Sarkis Church and the Prelacys Armenian
    Religious Education Council (AREC), the program will take place in
    Pagoumian Hall beginning at 8 pm with a 45-minute presentation
    followed by Q and discusson (45 minutes), conducted by Deacon Shant
    Kazanjian, Director of AREC.
    For registration or information contact the church office at
    718-224-2275 or the Prelacy offices at 212-689-7810.
    GARIN HOVANNISIAN VISITS PRELACY
    Archbishop Oshagan welcomed Garin K. Hovannisian to the Prelacy this
    morning. After a private meeting with the Prelate, Vicar, and Iris
    Papazian, Prelacy staff members joined in a round-table meeting with
    the author of the newly-published book, Family of Shadows.
    Garin answered the questions posed about his book and the
    writing process about three generations of his family. Family of
    Shadows, is an engrossing account of the Armenian story told through
    three generations. Garin is the great-grandson of Kaspar, survivor of
    the Armenian Genocide; grandson of Richard, the pioneer professor of
    Armenian studies in the United States; and son of Raffi, the first
    foreign minister of the Republic of Armenia, who renounced his
    American citizenship in order to become a citizen of Armenia.
    Garin is currently on a book tour, appearing at bookstores
    along the east coast, and at various events sponsored by Armenian
    American organizations. Tomorrow evening he will be at St. Leons
    Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

    Family of Shadows: A Century of Murder, Memory and the Armenian
    American Dream , is available at the Armenian Prelacy
    Bookstore. Hardcover, 272 pages, $27.99, plus shipping & handling.
    Archbishop Oshagan with Garin Hovannisian at the Prelacy this morning.
    REMINDER: CHILDREN OF ARMENIA AUTHORAT RAMAPO COLLEGE TONIGHT
    Michael Bobelian will discuss his recent book, Children of Armenia: A
    Forgotten Genocide and the Century-long Struggle for Justice, at 7:30
    pm tonight at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey. For information:
    [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or 201-684-7409.
    BIBLE READING
    Bible readings for Sunday, October 10, Fifth Sunday of the Exaltation
    of the Holy Cross, are: Isaiah 19:1-11; Galatians 2:1-10; Mark
    12:35-44.
    While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, How can the
    scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, by
    the Holy Spirit, declared, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right
    hand, until I put your enemies under your feet. David himself calls
    him Lord; so how can he be his son? And the large crowd was listening
    to him with delight.
    As he taught, he said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk
    around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the
    marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places
    of honor at banquets! They devour widows houses and for the sake of
    appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater
    condemnation.
    He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd
    putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A
    poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a
    penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, Truly I tell
    you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are
    contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of
    their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she
    had, all she had to live on. (Mark 12:35-44)

    For a listing of the coming weeks Bible readings click here (
    http://e2ma.net/go/8694964749/3145331/99231799/24882/goto:http://www.armenianprelacy.org/images/prelacy/PDF/2010dbr-10.pdf
    ).
    FEAST OF THE HOLY TRANSLATORS
    This Saturday, October 8, the Armenian Church commemorates the Feast
    of the Holy Translators, one of our most popular feasts. There are, in
    fact, two such commemorations in our liturgical calendar. One is on
    the Thursday following the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, which can
    occur in June or July, and the other on the second Saturday of
    October.
    The October commemoration focuses on the creation of the
    Armenian alphabet (406) and on the accomplishments of the Holy
    Translators. Mesrob Mashdots, the founder of the alphabet, and
    Catholicos Sahak, together with some of their students, translated the
    Bible. Schools were opened and the works of world-renowned scholars
    were translated. Their work gave the Armenian Church a distinct
    national identity.
    In modern times the entire month of October has been designated
    as a Month of Culture. Armenians throughout the Diaspora and Armenia
    mark this with cultural events not only in remembrance of the past,
    but in celebration of modern-day scholars, theologians, writers, and
    translators.
    Specifically remembered this Saturday, along with Mesrob and
    Sahak, are: Yeghishe, a renowned student of Sahag and Mesrob, who
    served as secretary to Vartan Mamigonian and wrote the great history
    of the Vartanantz wars; Movses of Khoren, also a student of Sahag and
    Mesrob, is revered as the father of Armenian history; David the
    Invincible was a student of Movses. He received most of his education
    in Athens, where he was given the title Invincible because of his
    brilliance in philosophy; Gregory of Narek, who is considered the
    greatest poet of the Armenian nation and its first and greatest
    mystic; and Nerses Shnorhali, a great writer, musician, theologian,
    and ecumenist.

    O God, through the holy teacher you bestowed on us of the north divine
    and heavenly gifts; through his prayers have mercy on us.
    O God, you bestowed on the sons of Torgom the divinely-inspired
    books in letters revealed to Saint Mesrob in a vision; through his
    prayers have mercy on us.
    O God, you generously spread your heavenly knowledge and
    spiritual wisdom in the churches of the Armenians by the holy
    translators; by their prayers have mercy on us.

    (From the Liturgical Canons of the Armenian Apostolic Church for the
    Holy Translators).
    MONDAY IS COLUMBUS DAY
    This Monday, October 11, is Columbus Day, a holiday celebrated in many
    countries in the Americas, commemorating the date of Christopher
    Columbuss arrival in the New World in 1492. A sailor on the Pinta
    sighted land early in the morning of October 12, 1492, and a new era
    of European exploration and expansion began. The next day the ninety
    crew members of Columbuss three-ship fleet (Nina, Pinta, and Santa
    Maria) landed on the Bahamian Island of Guanahan, ending a voyage that
    began ten weeks earlier from Palos, Spain.
    President Franklin Roosevelt first proclaimed October 12 a
    national federal holiday in 1937. Since 1971, when the dates of
    holidays were moved in the U.S. to create long weekends, Columbus Day
    has been commemorated on the second Monday in October.
    JUST ARRIVED AT THE BOOKSTORE
    Armenian Constantinople
    Edited by Richard G. Hovannisian and Simon Payaslian

    This 493-page softcover book is the ninth published volume in the UCLA
    series Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces. Scholars from various
    disciplines offer the story of the Armenian presence in Constantinople
    across the centuries.

    $35.00 plus shipping & handling.
    AND THE FINAL WORD:
    Translators, in the precise and historical sense of the word, refers
    to St. Sahag and St. Mesrob and their disciples of the 5th century
    who translated the Holy Scriptures from Greek into Armenian. But, the
    word translators has acquired a wider sense in our Armenian
    understanding; it refers to all such Church Fathers who in the course
    of the past centuries made a marked contribution to the growth of
    Armenian culture taken in its entirety. It has become now a symbolic
    name which is applied in this broadest sense to all those who
    translate Gods Word to Gods people particularly through their literary
    activities and cultural services. This is why October has been
    proclaimed as The Month of Culture (Meshagouytee Amees). This means
    that we are called to focus our thinking on the value of culture in
    human life within our Armenian communities around the world.

    >From a message delivered in Antelias, Lebanon on October 10, 1982 by
    His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia
    CALENDAR OF EVENTS
    October 7The Aftermath of Genocide, a lecture by Michael Bobelian,
    author of recently published Children of Armenia, at Trustee Pavilion
    at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey, sponsored by the Center for
    Holocaust & Genocide Studies and the Armenian National Committee of
    New Jersey, 7:30 pm, free and open to the public. For information:
    [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or 201-684-7409.
    October 8-10The Eastern Prelacys Linked In workshop weekend for young
    adults at Holy Virgin Marys Spiritual Vineyard, Charlton,
    Massachusetts.
    October 13Peter Balakian will read from Ziggurat, his recently
    published book of poems, at National September 11 Memorial & Museum,
    20 Vesey Street at Liberty Street and Broadway, New York City, at 6
    pm. A suggested donation of $10 will help support the ongoing
    programming.
    October 1620th anniversary dinner-dance, honoring the ladies of
    St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. All ladies attending will be
    honored. $60 per person, paid reservations required. For information
    and reservations: Amy 718-476-3050; Louiza 516-248-2955; church
    secretary, Raya 718-224-2275.
    October 14-17Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Food Festival
    and Bazaar. Information: 301-229-8742.
    October 15-16Annual Fall Fair/Bazaar, St. Gregory Church of Merrimack
    Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts, 11 am to 7 pm each day. Full
    menu, country store, handmade gifts, Armenian gifts, raffles, white
    elephant table.
    October 16Armenian Bazaar at St. Gregory Armenian Church, 135 Goodwin
    Street, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, 9 am to 8 pm. Shish kebob and
    chicken kebob dinners, raffles, baked goods, forgotten treasures. Take
    out available.
    October 17St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York City, Hayrenikin, debut
    of Huyser Musical Ensemble, 1 pm. Special appearance by the AGBU
    Antranig Dance Group. Admission: $15.00. For information:
    212-689-5880.
    October 24St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York,
    celebrates the Year of the Armenian Woman. Lecture by Marilyn
    Martone, Ph.D, professor at St. Johns University, Women in America,
    immediately following church services.
    October 30Comedy & Mezza Night, sponsored by the ARS of Eastern USA
    (Agnouni & Spitak chapters), featuring comedian Vahe Berberian in a
    new repertoire, 7 pm at the Hovnanian School, 817 River Road, New
    Milford, New Jersey. For information: [email protected].
    October 31St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York,
    celebrates the Year of the Armenian Woman. Lecture by Mrs. Nayda
    Voskerijian, member of Ladies Guild and Armenian Relief Society,
    Armenian Women in America, immediately following church services.
    November 5-6-7Annual Bazaar and Food Festival, Sts. Vartanantz
    Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey.
    November 767th anniversary, All Saints Armenian Church, Glenview,
    Illinois.
    November 13-14Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 46th
    anniversary banquet Saturday evening. Sunday Divine Liturgy celebrated
    by the Prelate, H.E. Archbishop Oshagan. Information: 301-229-8742.
    November 19-20Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts,
    Fall Food Festival, Friday, November 19, 4 pm to 8 pm, with dinner
    beginning at 5 pm. Saturday, November 20, 10 am to 4 pm with dinner
    beginning at noon. Shish, Losh, and Chicken Kebob and Kheyma
    sandwiches. Variety of baked goods and Armenian Country Store.
    Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
    site.
    To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
    add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
    your address book.
    Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
    credit Crossroads as the source.
    Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
    their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
    [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])




    From: A. Papazian
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